Chestnut Ridge

At five foot three and half inches tall, Amy Daughtry works in the shadows of towering canvases. Her jeans, covered in paint, are the artistic fallout from her creative work.

A recent graduate of the art program at Mount Olive College, Daughtry has completed a series of paintings that she began over five months ago as part of her senior Honors project. The vivid works of art, in hues of yellow, purple, orange and green, capture the true essence of youth and nature.

After more than 280 hours spent on the project, Daughtry presented it to Chestnut Ridge Camp and Retreat Center. Chestnut Ridge will display the works as a permanent mural on its Pavilion.

Although painted in nine separate works of art to depict different aspects of Chestnut Ridge, they all work together as one, each bringing a unique aspect to the mural as a whole. Installed, the mural measures 8 X 20 feet.

Inspiration for the pieces came from Daughtry’s own experiences as a counselor at the camp during the past two summers.

“Chestnut Ridge is very special to me.  It is not only a place where I have made lots of memories, but also a place where I have grown spiritually.  As a counselor, I poured myself whole-heartedly into the children during their stay at camp, and in turn God has blessed me with many other opportunities. Painting a mural for the camp has been one of these opportunities,” she stated

A fine arts major and psychology minor, Daughtry transferred to Mount Olive College in the fall of 2004, fulfilling a tradition for the Daughtry family. And, MOC is where Amy Daughtry fell in love with her future husband Matthew Grubbs.  The couple plan to marry in July and move to Kentucky, where Daughtry hopes to pursue her passion for art and working with special needs youth.

As she begins this next stage of her life, Daughtry said simply, but elegantly, “My goal is to always be in the will of God! Where that will take me . . . only God knows.”

[This article was adapted from a Mount Olive College press release...thanks!]